Combined ironing-board and step-ladder.



A. MARCINIAK 6I K. JACHOWSKI.

COMBINED IRONING BOARD AND STEP LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED III/III. s. I9Is.

1,198,739. Patented sept. 19,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I Fig. 1 f Fig. 2.

Marcu'k me Ivmzms persas co punm-I.Imo..wAsmncmN. n. cA

A. MARCINIAK & K. JACHOWSKI.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ADAM 'MARCINIAK AND KAZIMIERZ JACHOWSKI, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

COMBINED IRONING-BOARD AND STEP-LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. 19, 191e.

Application led March 8, 1916. Serial No. 82,841.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that we, ADAM MARCINIAK and KAzrMrnRz JAoHowsKI, subjects of the Czar of Russia, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in Combined Ironing-Boards and Step-Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in combined ironing-board and step-ladder.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an article specially designed for household use being adaptable as an ironing-board of extreme strength but readily shiftable whenever desired into a secure form of step-ladder.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a foldable step-ladder adapted for shifting the steps thereof in direct alinement between the side braces of the ladder as well as the struts thereof for forming a board serviceable for ironing and similar purposes having substantially smooth opposite faces.

A still further object is to provide a combined ironing-board and step-ladder that is inexpensive and easy to manufacture but which at the same time possesses great strength and utility when positioned for use as either of the articles named, being compactly folded in its board formation for storage and transportation purposes.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood7 the same'consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and then claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device set up for use as a step-ladder. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken upon line III-III of Fig. 1 when the device is folded. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken upon line IV-IV of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the device when in its closed ironing-board arrangement, and Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views of the upper portion of the device set up as a step-ladder taken forwardly and rearwardly thereof respectively.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, side rails 10 are arranged in parallelism having a rectangular end plate 11 secured therebetween at the ends thereof and constituting the top of the step-ladder as well as the head of the ironing-board. Side struts 12 are pivoted at their adjacent ends to the outer end of the plate 11 and the adjacent ends of the rails 10 by means of a pivot rod 13 extending transversely through the said members, it being understood that the struts 12 when folded at the opposite sides of the rails 10 have their' forward and rear edges lying flush with the edges of the rails 10 as well as the forward and rear faces of the plate 11.

A plurality of steps 14 are pivoted between the rails 10 by means of transverse rods 15 extending through the said rails and steps, the steps being thus foldable inwardly with their oblique edges 16 in contact with each other and with the adjacent inner edge 17 of the plate 11 which is correspondingly beveled, thus providing substantially smooth surfaces upon both faces of the device, as best illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, it being understood that the steps 14 are of the same thickness as the plate 11 therefore having their opposite faces lying flush with the forward and rear edges of the rails 10 and struts 12 when the deviceis in its folded position.

Opposite operating rods 18 pivotally connect the outer edges of the steps 14 being attached thereto as. at 19 so that by longitudinally moving the rods 18, the steps 16 are shifted for arranging the saine either in their folded board formation or in their unfolded step arrangement. Links 20 are pivotally connected as at 21 to the rails 10 in cut away inner portions 22 of the said rails and have pivotal connections as at 23 at their free ends with the upper ends of the operating rods 18, as best illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

When the device is set up as a step-ladder, the struts 12 are separated from the rails 10 and the steps 14 are arranged in parallelism, the elements being properly adjusted to bring the pivotal openings 24 of the link connections 23 in alinement with the transverse perforations 25 extending through the struts 12 adjacent the upper ends thereof and thus allowing a locking bar 26 to be positioned therethrough and secured by means of winged set nuts 27 screw-threaded upon the opposite ends of the said bar.

From this detailed description of the invention it will be seen that when the device is set up as a step-ladder as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the bar 26 imparts strength and rigidity to the device by means of the spacing links 20 as well as the rods 18, the latter retaining the steps 14 in their spaced operative relations. When desired to change the formation of the device to its flat arrangement serviceable as an ironing-board, one or both of the nuts 27 is removed and the bar 26 withdrawn which allows the steps 14 to be folded between the rails with the rods 18 lying within the longitudinal edge grooves 28 at the rear of the rails 10, while the links are positioned within the cut away portions 22 of the rails. The struts 12 being released are readily folded at the opposite sides of the rails 10 and retaining screws 29 are inserted through the lower ends of the struts 12 and through alining openings 30 in the lower ends of the rails 10 so that the unthreaded reduced ends 31 of the screws will seat within sockets 32 arranged in the adjacent opposite sides of the lowermost step 14.

It will thus be apparent that by substantially reversing the operation, the device may be changed from yits board formation to that of the ladder, it being only necessary to remove the screws 29 and shift the struts 12 and steps 14 in the manner hereinbefore described, then placing the bar 26 in its operative retaining arrangement and applying the locking screws 27 thereto.

A strong and eiicient deviceis thus provided serviceable for household use and be- Copies of this patent may be obtained for tween the rails at one end thereof and having its opposite faces lying flush with the rails and provided with an oblique inner edge, fiat members of the same thickness as the plate foldably pivoted in spaced relations between the rails and having engageable beveled edges, the fiat members, plate and rails having opposite substantially smooth faces when the flat members are in their folded relations, opposite operating rods for the fiat members pivotally connecting the outer edges thereof and disposed parallel with the rails, links pivotally connecting the upper ends of the rods with the rails, struts positioned outwardly of the rails and having their adjacent ends pivoted to the outer end of the plate and the adjacent ends of the rails, a locking bar extending through the struts and through the pivotal connections between the rods and the links, and means for retaining the struts and spaced rails in closed position.

In testimony whereof we aihX our signatures.

ADAM MARCINIAK.

KAZIMIERZ JAoHowsKI.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

